Pacific's financial troubles

PACIFIC GRAND PRIX suffered a public humiliation in Belgium when local bailiffs arrived to seize some of the team's equipment because money was owed to Swiss engine preparation specialist Heini Mader relating to last season when Pacific ran the Mader-prepared Ilmor V10 engines.

Pacific was engaged in a law suit in England against Mader, claiming that the engines he supplied for the Australian GP last year were not up to standard.

Mader's action in Belgium threatened to force the team to miss the Belgian GP and so a compromise was reached in which Pacific agreed to drop its action against Mader. Pacific sponsor Catamaran is believed to have stumped up the money to pay the bill and Keith Wiggins's struggling team was back in action.

Andrea Montermini and Giovanni Lavaggi are to continue with Pacific until after the Italian GP, after which Montermini will be joined by Swiss pay-driver Jean-Denis Deletraz. Montermini may himself be replaced for the races in Japan and Australia and Japanese driver Hideki Noda was spotted having talks with Wiggins in the paddock at Spa.